Banter
by Honey Funny Bunny
Summary: Utau thinks Kukai is stupid. Kukai thinks Utau is cute for thinking he’s stupid. It all leads to a date, and, ultimately, Kukai’s sweet victory. Utau, of course, denies it all. Kutau.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shugo Chara/Shugo Chara Doki.

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Banter

By: Aishitewu

"You're stupid, kid," she mutters, a challenging smirk on her face.

He likes a challenge. Laughing, he replies, "That's cute."

_Point for Souma_. He grins as a shade of pink colors the idol's cheeks.

Immediately she turns around to hide it. Putting on her indifferent façade, she crosses her arms over her chest and denies being flattered by the small compliment. "Don't call me cute," she says. A master at concealing her feelings, he almost buys the act.

Almost. He isn't fooled. Though her voice sounds impressively uncaring, he doesn't fall for it. "You seem to like it," he teases. He likes teasing her, because her reactions are always so entertaining.

The comment turns the rosy pink into a dark red. She tells herself not to listen to the boy. They were nothing more than corny attempts at flirting. "Playboy." She changes the subject and turns back around after she's gotten the color of her skin under control.

He sees that she does. "Changing the subject, eh?" He knows that if she really saw him as nothing more than "stupid kid" like she says she does, she would've left by now. But no, she remains before him, continuing to challenge her. The fact instills confidence within him. She could deny everything with her words, but the violet gems of her eyes would always tell of how she really felt – the truth.

He finds her…intriguing. Those amethyst orbs of hers had lured him in, but it is her personality that has him motivated into winning the pigtailed idol. She could play hard-to-get all she wanted, but Souma Kukai was ready for the rejection. He knows that it all would be worth it in the end…

If you ask him – "Kukai-kun, do you like Utau?" – he'll reply with a wide smile and a "yes". That is because he's not ashamed of his own feelings. If Souma Kukai likes someone that way, then he likes someone that way.

"Really, you can't help how you feel, right?" He might add.

You could so many bad qualities about his special person, but he'd always see her as perfect.

She finds him…irritating. Those olivine orbs of his are incredibly annoying, especially when he grins – his eyes would then turn into twinkling peridots. His personalitybugs her, too. How could one smile so often? How could one pretend that his imperfections don't exist and easily say that he himself was an amazing person? His persevering self is sandpaper on her nerves.

But what upsets her the most is _herself_.

No matter how much she glares at him, no matter how much he provokes her, she just can't stay away from him. She doesn't understand it, and she certainly doesn't like it one bit, but she does it.

But if you ask her – "Utau-chan, are you interested in Kukai-kun? Even a little bit?" – she'll deny it after slapping your cheek red. But that's because she's not nearly as mature as he is. What's ironic, however, is that she believes that _she _is more of an adult than him, even though he's the one who can admit his feelings so easily, while she tries so hard to hide hers. Ironic, isn't it?

"So, you want to for some tonkotsu ramen once again?" They'd met through ramen, anyway.

He grins, and she narrows her eyes at the dare in his tone. "First to finishing three bowls wins. Loser pays for the both of us, Pop Idol-chan." He pats his jeans pocket confidently. "I've brought my wallet just in case you lose but demand that the challenger pay for it."

_Interesting_, she thinks. "You're on, Soccer Boy."

The two smirk at the other, certain about their own victories. Both of them like some good competition.

But who is the real victor here, really?

Is it Kukai? For having tricked Utau into thinking the date – yes, _date _– was nothing more than a ramen-eating contest?

Or Utau, for having _been_ tricked into, finally, subtly hinting her true feelings about the guy? And she had accepted so quickly, too…

Hm. It's pretty close, isn't it?

--

"I won."

Utau sits, proud, on the chair. To torment the boy further about his loss, she stacks her three empty bowls in front of him. "I already knew that I would, but it was still fun beating you." She looks at him across the table, and the joy of winning all fades away.

Because Kukai is…grinning. She had expected him to be a whiney sore loser. _That _would have made her day.

"Why are you all smiley, Soccer Boy?" she demands, violet slits for eyes. Nothing added so much more sweetness to victory like a complaining loser.

"Because _I _won, Pop Idol-chan." Her reaction only widens his grin, which, in turn, aggravates her more.

His reply confuses her. "Are you crazy? _I_ finished before _you_!" She reminds him.

"Really? Because I got to see you get all – hn, what is the word, ah yes – _immature._"

She just about explodes. "W-what? You _are _stupid, after all!" She won't say it, but she _hates _looking childish. Especially in front of others.

"_And_," he continues, pointing a finger in front of her nose, "_you _accepted my date offer."

She blushes, much to his satisfaction. "This is _not _a date."

She knows that he's right, but of course, she denies it.

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**Note: **Not that good (my first Kutau fic; truthfully, I used to despise the pairing), but I plan to write more Kutau fics so look for those, too. :) Please?

**Even if you don't review, thanks a bunch for reading~**


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